COMPETITIVE FORESTRY, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND ENVIRONMENTAL GRANTS PROGRAM.

SEC. 1232. COMPETITIVE FORESTRY, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND ENVIRONMENTAL GRANTS PROGRAM. (a) Establishment.— The Secretary of Agriculture (hereafter referred to in this section as the “Secretary”) shall establish a competitive forestry, natural resources, and environmental grant program to award grants for the conduct of research as described in subsection (c). (b) Eligible Entities.— To be eligible to receive a grant under subsection (a), an entity shall— (1) be a State agricultural experiment station, a college or university, a research institution or organization, a Federal agency, a private organization, or a corporation that has a demonstrable capacity to conduct forestry, natural resources, and environmental research as determined by the Secretary; and (2) prepare and submit to the Secretary, an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary shall require, including the proposed use of the amounts that may be received under a grant. (c) Use.— In awarding the initial grants under subsection (a) the Secretary shall give priority to applicants who will use such grants for research concerning— (1) the biology of forest organisms, including physiology, genetic mechanisms, and biotechnology; (2) ecosystem function and management, including forest ecosystem research, biodiversity, forest productivity, pest management, water resources, and alternative silvicultural systems; (3) wood as a raw material, including forest products and harvesting; (4) human forest interactions, including outdoor recreation, public policy formulation, economics, sociology, and administrative behavior; (5) international trade, competition, and cooperation related to forest products; (6) alternative native crops, products, and services that can be produced from renewable natural resources associated with privately held forest lands; (7) viable economic production and marketing systems for alternative natural resource products and services; (8) economic and environmental benefits of various conservation practices on forest lands; (9) genetic tree improvement; and (10) market expansion. (d) Facilities and Equipment.— (1) Authority.— Grants made under this section may be used to update research facilities and equipment available to facili-104 STAT. 3544 tate the conduct of state-of-the-art research in forestry, natural resources, and the environment. (2) Priorities and criteria.— The Secretary, in consultation with the Cooperative Forestry Research Council appointed under section 5(b) of Public Law 87–788 (16 U.S.C. 582e(b)), may develop criteria and priorities for the awarding of grants for use under paragraph (1). (e) Recommendations.— The Secretary shall request the Cooperative Forestry Research Council referred to in subsection (d)(2) to provide recommendations regarding grant priorities. (f) Term.— The Secretary may make grants under this section for periods of not to exceed 5 years. (g) Authorization of Appropriations.— There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.